Apres Le Deluge

Tuesday night, Red Bull Select was hosting a show at The Drake Underground. If you RSVP ahead (convenient way for them to collect email addresses and other info), you can get in for $3. There were hundreds of name on the list, but only about 60 people showed.

Paradise Animals was first on the bill. When I first saw them at Mill St. Brewery, they had some good songs but were scattershot in their musical genres. They have since tightened up their approach and provided a lively set to get the crowd dancing. Now solidly in the electro-pop/dance, they nevertheless had some interesting arrangements. They usually have a basic foundation, whether it's 4-on-the-floor dance or 70s-style funk, and transition in and out of sections with odd time signatures or poly-rhythm. It made for a enjoyable set especially when the cowbell came out and also a cover of Vitamin C (Can).

Two-man band Ark Analog (Dan Werb, Maylee Todd) was next. With a phalanx of synth machines, they were more electronic dance. In fact, they were at their best doing "experimental EDM" where, over driving bass and beats, they layered and played with many effects, including manipulating live vocals by routing it through a synthesizer keyboard ("auto-tune" gone mad). With Todd's hair in a blonde mohawk, rhythmic dancing, repeating phrases, and pounding beats, at the end there was a real electric pow-wow vibe to the music.

With trio I Break Horses coming from Sweden, perhaps the dancing can continue a la Ace of Base. But singer Maria Lindén pointed out that outside of upbeat songs like Faith and Denial, they were bringing "Dark Sweden". So despite her often up-raised arms and flying hair and the frantic drummer, it was a moodier, quieter atmosphere: with lots of reverb, sustained synth chords, and layered vocals. The crowd had thinned, but there were obvious fans who stuck around.